Wisdom’s Son

What if you alone knew the truth that could save your city? But going back could cost you everything; even your life...

Blind City

If the Experimenters knew, then the glitch would be closed. An ancient man trudged the narrow road toward Blind City, muttering to himself. The journey was pointless at best, foolish at worst. Still, Orian walked. The sun’s rays warmed his back, making the sloping descent pleasant. As it rose high over the flat horizon, he saw the dark shape of a black orb in the distance. The spherical shape marred the deserted land and- for the first time since he left at sun’s rising- he hesitated.  The darkness he lived in for so long- that he alone escaped many years before- would consume him once more. Unless I overcome it... The thought alone was enough to make him turn and take a few steps back. But there were people still living in the orb- still breathing, eating, sleeping, and dying- in darkness. He had found what the Experimenters hid, what they in their schemes neglected: an exit. He walked back towards the black sphere, one step, then another, a long, twisted stick assisting his aged frame through the rough patches.
Half a days' journey later, he reached the deserts’ center, where the eerie hum of the orb intensified. The dust covered his feet and a foreboding windstorm threatened the horizon. He must find the glitch quickly.
He reached the spot and sure enough the buzzing orb held interference in a small, nearly imperceptible section low to the ground. The Experimenters never found it. It blinked on-off, on-on-off, on-off, off-off… now. He slipped into the darkness.
With no sense of direction, Orian used the stick to feel his way through the blackness. Noises of the city rose around him. The staccato clicking, tapping, and sliding of many sticks sounded in a percussive symphony, as people felt their way through the walk ways. He heard the haggling at the marketplace, the occasional spills, the bumps, and groans. He followed the main path he knew well, past his old residence and toward the town’s center, never losing count.

Light in the City

Seven hundred steps. It was time. Orian closed his eyes, willing courage for the task. He felt into the folds of his long, thin cloak for the timber sticks. He gathered the flint stones he brought from his mountain dwelling. Quietly he worked, rubbing the smooth stones against each other and a spark appeared and flew to the ground. Then another and another until he managed to have a tiny flame burning on the timber. A gasp sounded nearby. He placed a few more sticks on the ground and fed the flame. A crowd gathered around him, and the flames grew larger. The fire lit the faces of the crowd, and many closed their eyes moaning.
“Stop him, he’s destroying the city.” One cried.
“It hurts... I don’t like it!” Moaned another. Voices of fury and outrage, joy and wonder, rose in conflict like the flame. Orian said nothing, but continued to feed the flame.
“Who are you?” A man demanded, his eyes shut tight.
Orian added more timber.
“What do you think your doing? Where did you get this? What is it?”
He looked into the face of another closed-eye man. “This is light.” He looked around. “I found a way to escape this city. I can show you where the light comes from.” He added more timber to the fire.
“Don’t believe him. This is evil, there’s something wrong….”
“There’s no such thing as light, you fool.”
“I had always hoped…” Another voice whispered, quiet, but near enough that Orian heard him.
“Come with me.” He spoke to the timid-faced boy; the only in the crowd whose eyes squinted open at the flame.
“I want too…” He whispered. “Who are you?”
Orian smiled. “Call me Wisdom.”

 Escape

The crowd grew angry. Hard objects hurled at the man’s hunched form. A large brick landed on the  flames, which smoldered and still burned. Orian knew it was time. They did not want to see, they did not want to know a reality beyond their own pitiful darkness. He turned to leave, the boy close behind him. He counted the steps quietly, and the boy followed at the same pace. At a quiet section, he suddenly stopped.
“Boy, you must go on from here alone.”
“Why aren’t you coming?”
“The Experimenters are looking for me.” And I can’t risk them finding the glitch. Not now. He could here the staccato chiming of several enforcers marching with sticks through town’s center. “Go quickly to the north side. Count two hundred paces from here. There’s a glitch in the orb. When you see the brightness blink on-on, step through.” When they reached the edge of the walkway, the stomping-clicking-chiming neared them.
“Who are they? Where should I go after I'm through?” His voice sounded small.
“Don’t worry about them. Go to the east mountain. You’ll find a small village with others from another town. Tell them your from Blind City… tell them you’re Wisdom’s son.”
“I should just stay here…”
“It will be difficult, it will hurt in some ways, but trust me, it’s worth all the trouble. I saw the longing in your eyes, the longing for light. Think of it- why do you have eyes if there’s nothing to see. You must come back here when you are old, as I did, to show another the way.”
He felt the boy trembling in the darkness. Then his small voice spoke. “I’ll go.” He heard the boy’s stick move quickly toward the north side, a voice counting each step.
Yes, go. Live the life I lived and enjoy sun’s rising and warm fires at dusk. 
“Come with me, light-bearer.” A stern voice spoke behind him.
“Where are we going, Experimenter?”
“Trial. It is not permitted to bring light into the city. You’ve created an outrage, and will be executed for treason.”
Orian smiled in the darkness. He would not bring the knowledge to the grave. Wisdom’s son will succeed. Others will leave. He laughed softly.
“You find that funny?”
“I’ve won, Experimenter. I will die knowing the brilliance of the sky and the flicker of a flame. This game, this foolish, foolish quest of yours will not last. You cannot maintain the orb forever.”
“Darkness is safe. And we strive to maintain it for the good of the city…”
Orian spit on the ground. “I know your chant by heart- don’t quote to me, light-stealer. You used our native ancestors for your cruel test…”
The man pushed him forward, and Orian stumbled to the ground. Several others groped for him, and they hoisted him up, carrying him through the blackness. He closed his eyes, remembering the light. Remembering the sun. And smiled as he pictured the boy now seeing it for the first time. Not a foolish quest after all.